Why is it so hard to have a "learning conversation" at work?

Thursday October 20, 2011 People often ask why it seems so hard for them to replicate at work the same quality conversations they have in my workshops, the kind of conversations that allow people to learn something with and from each other. Indeed, I have found that many organizations struggle with this: How to increase the "learning quotient" of a conversation about a big decision and what can be done to ensure that people learn during an important group discussion. Is our "problem solving" attitude the problem? I do not know about you, but I do not listen much when my focus is on winning, showing off or solving somebody's problem. By paying attention to "looking good," "making an impression," or "doing my best," I leave myself little time for learning or reflecting. Likewise, when I am under attack or under pressure to perform, concerned about avoiding embarrassment or threat, feeling vulnerable or incompetent, I notice that I create impenetrable defensive mechanisms that effectively prevent learning. When we approach a real-life scenario with an "I win, you lose" mindset, we inevitably end up in a tug-of-war, where conversations break down, listening is superficial, and no learning actually happens. Learning is not possible if a conversation is a competitive game—I win you lose. On the other hand, learning is inevitable when I think cooperatively—I win you win. (To prove this point I often engage groups in a negotiation exercise with the purpose of demonstrating how thinking "win-win" is the beginning of learning.) In a famous article, Chris Argyris talked about the need for managers to go beyond learning as problem solving and "... look inward...to reflect critically on their own behavior, identify the ways they often inadvertently contribute to the organization's problems, and then change how they act. ... learn how the very way they go about deŽfining and solving problems can be a source of problems in its own right." So, why is our problem solving attitude the problem? Well, because we want to do just that: Solve the problem. And our focus is not on learning. How can we do both? Five things to help "Action Learning" is a methodology that delivers results on two fronts at once: you learn while solving problems. Drawing on that methodology and on many other frameworks, here are a few ready-to-use suggestions to enable great learning conversations in teams: ·         MINDSET: Think win-win and make it a point to focus on listening as hard as you possibly can; ·         KEY QUESTION: Outline a key question that will direct the learning (that is, uncovering what you do not already know!); ·         TIME LIMITS: Establish clear time limits (i.e., 40 minutes), and state the purpose and desired outcome of the session in specific terms; ·         INFORMAL TONE: Hold the session in a non-formal setting. Avoid board rooms; ·         GROUNDRULE: Enforce the key "Action Learning" groundrule that "Statements can only be made in response to questions". This encourages curiosity and improves inquiry. Try it and see for yourself a dramatic improvement in your ability to reflect and learn together. Good luck! Adriano Pianesi | ParticipAction Consulting, Inc. | Increasing Your Return on Collaboration